The Communique

Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: News

Registered nursing students from Kirkwood Community College work at the patient education tables at an H1N1 flu clinic held Nov. 6 in Cedar Rapids. Other students administered the vaccine and helped in other ways.

Nursing students from Kirkwood Community College gave the community a few hours of their time Nov. 6 when they helped Linn County Public Health at the H1N1 flu clinic at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids.

"We told the students they could help at the clinic instead of having a clinical day. They all agreed it would be a good way to help fulfill the community's needs," said Syeda Thomas, a nursing instructor at Kirkwood.

According to Thomas, some students handed out consent forms as people entered the building and one student conducted triage in the front (screened people to make sure they were able to get the vaccine). Several others helped with patient education and three students administered the vaccine. The other students helped where they were needed, gave water to the volunteers and other tasks.

Ann Olson, public information officer for Linn County Public Health, said there were 1,545 doses of FluMist vaccine allotted for the clinic, which was the first flu clinic held in Cedar Rapids.

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